Vacuum cleaner



9 1941 J. FREDERICK 21,247,549

VACUUM CLEANER Original Filed Nov. 4, 1937 5 INVENTOR ./a//- fkfionelck ATTORNEY 'Patehted July 1, 1941' j UNITED STATE s, PATENT OFFICE.

vacuum enema John Frederick, New York, N. r.

Original application November 4, 1937, Serisi No.

172,667. Divided and. this application Decemher 12, 1939, Serial No. 368365 An object of the invention is the provision of a suction inlet in addition to the usum inlet, so located that the suction means of the cleaner may readily be availed of for removing dust, lint or similar material from a mop, brush or like cleaning implement.

A featureof the invention resides in the provision of a suction inlet in addition to the usual suction inlet, situated directly above the latter and so proportioned and arranged as not materially to interfere with the use of the vacuum cleaner when it is desired to clean under furniture which is close to the floor. More particularly the vacuum cleaner is provided with a casing having a lower front portion and a higher rear portion, a suction inlet being formed in the bottom of the low front portion with anupwardly facing inlet formed in the top of said portion which latter inlet is covered by a mop cleaning rid.

Various advantageous features of the invention will become apparent from the following description and claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawing in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of a vacuum cleaner of known type with my improvement applied thereto; said view also showing one type of cleaning implement which my improved device is adapted to clean;

Figure 2 is a side elevation partly in section of the type of vacuum cleaner shown in Figure I;

Figure 3 is a section on the line 3-3 of Figure 2;

Figure 4 is a top plan view;

7 Figure 5 is a view taken on the line BI of Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a section on the line 6-6 of Figure 5.

- provided whereby the cleaner may be moved about. The usual suction inlet I faces downe wardly for cleaning the surface over which the cleaner is moved and when the impeller is put in motion; air passes into the suction inlet 5 through the conduit 3 thence to the impeller.

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from which it passes through the connection 8 to the dust receiving hag idFigure 1. A removable member 50' is provided to facilitate other attachmerits.

The parts above described are those usually found in a vacuum cleaner of the type illustrated.

In carrying out my invention, 1 provide a secand suction inlet which preferably is situated immediately above the inlet 5 and faces upwardly the implement to be cleaned for effectual removal and consists of a very shallow supplemental casing l2 into which'a grid i3 is formed. The grid may be made as a separate piece and fitted into the casing l2. Air may pass through the openings in the grid to the conduit it and thence to the impeller or it may pass through the intake 5 depending upon the position of a valve is so positioned that it may close either the conduit it or the conduit 6. A partition l5 separates the two conduits. In the position shown in Figure 2, the conduit 8 is closed and hence suction takes place only through the grid it. The valve is supported on a shaft it, Figures 5 and 6, which shaft is provided with a small lever I! by which it may be moved from the full line position shown in Figure 6 to the dotted line position there depioted.

The/valve is maintained in either position by a spring pressed plunger l8 engaging one or another of two notches provided in a disc IS.

The openings in thegrid are preferably largest near the center and gradually diminish in-area and width as they approach each end of the grid. The material separating the openings constitutes a means whereby material adhering too tightly to through the suction, may be loosened by moving the implement back and forth over the grid.

The area of the grid openings as compared to the area of the suction inlet 5 is so proportioned that the desired suction is maintained at the grid inlet.

By reason of the particular construction of the casing having a low front portion with one suction inlet immediately below and the other suction inlet immediately above enables the vacuum cleaner to be moved under objects which lie close to the floor, at the same time providing a convenient means whereby the mop may be cleaned by placing it upon the grid which overlies the upper suction inlet.

What I claim is:

1. In a vacuu'ln cleaner, a casing having a shallow projecting front portion of substantially uni-' form thic@ess, a. downwardly facing suction in-' let formed in the bottom of said front portion at the forward end thereof, said shallow V front portion adapted to be applied directly to and moved over the surface to be cleaned. the height of said front portion being such as to permit it to-be passed under relatively low furniture,

an upwardly facing suction inlet formed in the being adapted to be applied directly to and moved about over the surface to be cleaned. the height of said shallow front portion being such as to permit it to be passed under relatively low furniture, an upwardly facing suction inlet formed I in the top of said shallow front portion, a mop cleaning grid covering said upwardlyvfacing'suction inlet, a suction source formed in said higher rear portion of said casing, a conduit leading from said suction source, and a means for connecting at will one or the other of said suction inlets to said conduit.

' JOHN FREDERICK. 

